A well-known fact about me is that I hate spending my money. What can I say? I already have so little of it as a college student. I say a little prayer for every dollar I spend, hoping it was worth it.
And yet, I also believe in supporting the local scene— and keeping the local scene alive typically involves spending a little bit of money at local businesses.
Thus, I’m chronicling my thoughts on local experiences in Asheville and whether or not I think they’re worth the time and money— all in the name of students like me who want to support local but don’t want to gamble with their money.
Jerusalem Garden Cafe downtown— is it worth it?
A long day of classes and work certainly warranted a nice dinner for me and the gentleman caller on Jan. 22, 2026.
Last week, when I visited The Noodle Shop with friends, our server recommended I check out Jerusalem Garden Cafe next. So, that’s where the gentleman caller and I were headed that evening.
As we strolled downtown, making our way around Pritchard Park, I was already skeptical. I wasn’t able to find any of the restaurant’s menu prices on their website— a red flag if you’re looking for something reasonable.
The first thing to be noticed upon stepping into the premises is, naturally, the colorful and eclectic decor.
“Did we leave the country?” said the gentleman caller.
I offered no fuel for his jest, which was fine because we were immediately seated.
They offer both regular tables and traditional low seating at low tables with floor cushions. We opted for the latter.
After being led through their distinguished “tent” room, we settled in a cozy little alcove at the back of the restaurant— dimly lit but for a flickering tealight and a large window where we watched the sun fall behind a parking garage.
The alcove was secluded from the rest of the room by a pony wall, so I found myself getting up from my seat cushion and peeking over at the other patrons as well as, of course, the “tent” room.
Vibrant patterned fabric covered the walls— floor to ceiling. The ceiling, too, had this richly dyed fabric draped on it.
The fabric billowed, its patterns distorting, as drafts of air weakly threw their punches at it.
In contrast to the loudly decorated room, our fellow patrons were quiet. The room was all couples, mainly middle-aged adults, mainly sharing tapas and sipping red wine.
Peering back at the gentleman caller, all I can think is, “Eughh, certainly not our crowd!”
Our server, Mia Thompson, brought us the dinner menu. Everything on it looked good, so we had a hard time choosing. Thompson had to come back to our table twice before we made up our minds (but don’t worry, she assured us we were her only table).
We also had a hard time choosing because, in all honesty, the prices are not what I would deem affordable for a college student. However, we heard too many good things from friends to not try it, so we swallowed our pride and opened our wallets.
The gentleman caller ordered a falafel gyro ($16), which had the obligatory lettuce as well as hummus, pickles, and tahini salad. He opted for a side of potatoes harra, which I learned is Jerusalem Garden’s take on batata harra, also known as Lebanese spicy potatoes.
“I’m a little disappointed,” the gentleman caller said. “They’re really more tangy and savory than batata harra.”
I ended up going the safe route and getting the chicken kabob plate ($24), a well-portioned platter of hummus, basmati safflower rice and— the star of the show— a large skewer of chicken lying atop a pillowy pita, generously garnished with Greek tzatziki (a refreshing and tangy yogurt-based sauce with cucumber and herbs).
The pita was cut up in pieces underneath the skewer, which was convenient as it was easy to wrap the pita around the chicken with my fork and jimmy it off of the skewer. The chicken was juicy and certainly well-marinated.
Jerusalem Garden Cafe claims to have the world’s best hummus. I rolled my eyes as I read it under the About Us section on their website.
The almost-flattened dollop of hummus looked plain upon first inspection, its basins pooling with oil. I dipped my fork in to taste a bit of it and was immediately taken by it.
I’m in no place to comment on whether it was the world’s best hummus, but it was definitely the smoothest hummus I’ve ever had. It was almost buttery.
The safflower rice was also good— fragrant and savory— and went really well with the chicken.
Needless to say, I stuffed my face. I hadn’t had Middle Eastern or Mediterranean food in quite some time so I was grateful to not be let down.
I think Jerusalem Garden Cafe is worth it— as in, worth trying at least once.
The ambiance and, most importantly, the food are really something special. I don’t think I’ll be back here for a while but I was happy with my experience.
The food was, as you would hope, the biggest highlight of our visit, but my conversation with our server Thompson comes in at a close second.
Since it was a slow night, I chatted with Thompson in the quiet front room of the restaurant. She’s keeping her eye on the door for patrons, of course, but kindly agrees to let me interview her after I tell her about my mission.
Farouk “Frank” Badr and his wife opened Jerusalem Garden as a small cafe and store, selling Persian rugs out of what is now the “tent” room.
“I think it’s been over 40 years at this point,” Thompson said. “Same spot, same owners.”
Thompson, a senior at Warren Wilson College, recommends coming to Jerusalem Garden Cafe at lunch when it’s the most affordable.
“Lunch is a bit cheaper. The plates are a bit smaller but if college students want to get lunch downtown, the lunch gyros are usually really affordable and pretty filling,” Thompson said.
Thompson is graduating this semester so I congratulated her. She recommended I check out Short Sleeves Coffee in Swannanoa since they opened recently.
According to Thompson, that’s where all the Warren Wilson kids hang out— so, next week, I’ll be deciding if we should take it over instead.
Onward!
